The housing market is close to reaching the final stage of the current boom cycle, but it’s likely to get much hotter yet before it finally cools, according to Kieran Trass at Hybrid Consulting.

The Reserve Bank has been too timid in cutting interest rates and will have to ease by another full percentage point by the end of the year, Deutsche Bank says.

Q. I was wondering if you had read the Economist magazine's survey of the global property markets. The broad thesis is that sooner or later the property bubble, found in many residential markets worldwide, will burst, as all bubbles inevitably do.

Despite slowing growth in the economy generally, the housing market remains in great shape, ANZ chief economist David Drage says.

A new ASB BANK Housing Confidence survey says there's still a lot of confidence in the housing market, but that it seems driven by the expectation of lower interest rates still to come -- and that several factors could combine to take out the steam those expectations are generating.

A high-flying young real-estate agent, in an inner-city bar, toasting another commission has a sobering thought: "If I have kids, I can't see how they'll ever afford to own their own home." Not in Auckland, anyway.

The Reserve Bank's interest rate cuts over the past three months have boosted activity and prices in the housing market, ASB Bank says in its latest quarterly housing confidence survey.

Fashions come and go. Investment is no exception. But property investment is a hardy perennial.

When selling a home, most people opt for the professional service offered by a real estate agent. Before you give the listing to an agent, you should be aware of how much you should expect to pay and what that fee covers.

Builders are busy and house prices continue to climb but the fundamentals suggest the housing market is no bubble, economists say.

A new Lawyers and Conveyancers Bill governing the provision of legal services will provide greater choice for consumers while maintaining necessary consumer protections, Justice Minister Phil Goff said today.

The cost of buying a home could be slashed by up to a third by a controversial new scheme that will allow financial institutions to take a stake in the property.

Australia's concerns that property investors are passing off renovations as repairs in order to claim tax rebates is not mirrored here, the Inland Revenue Department says.

The Government is to fast-track laws covering housing buy-back schemes and is setting up a toll-free phone line to get an idea of how widespread the schemes are...

Did you know it is possible to depreciate your rental property at up to 60% DV (diminishing value), while complying with IRD requirements? Many property investors and property professionals are often unaware that this level of depreciation can be claimed and most claim at the rate of 4% for the entire building and contents. A specialised chattels and fit- out valuation completed on investment properties not only maximises cash flow for the investor, but also reduces claw back tax when you sell the property. This article gives you a little more insight as to what is involved with a specialised chattels valuation and shows you how a valuation ensures you get what you are entitled to.

Phil Jones for Kiwi Property Investor Magazine David Hows and I mix with large numbers of New Zealand property investors and support and encourage them in their property investing successes. Recently though, there seems to be an increasing number of investors who have purchased investments that are sugar-coated nightmares. They taste good when you sign up for them but once the full flavour of the deal is understood the nightmare begins.